The Gulick Family!

Hannah's Birthday!

2011-03-06T20:56:00.003-05:00

Hannah turned 6 today!!
She is so cute! Dallin wanted to wake up before her to wish her "Happy Birthday!"
She got a cat that purrs and meows. It's been in the back of the van for a couple of days and Ed said she has to wait until her birthday to play with it. It has been meowing back there everytime we get into the van. Hannah thinks its fun!
Also we secretly got her a Rapunzel barbie before they went out of stock at the BX. Shhh...don't tell her.
Happy Birthday Mahana!

Ps that cat in the back of the van is driving me nuts!"Meow...meow...purr..."
I took ice cream cone cupcakes to Hannah's class and they loved them.

Busy!

2011-02-01T19:39:00.003-05:00

Why does life have to be so busy? In the past 3 weeks I have juggled 2 doctors appointments, 2 dentists appointments, a sick little boy, Pinewood Derby, volunteering, dinner for a new mom, managing scouts and taking care of everyday things. When will it stop? I hope by the end of February. It has already filled up with many busy activities. Maybe I can breath in March...

FHE

2011-01-03T21:42:00.003-05:00

This is what we did for Family Home Evening last night. The kids loved it!
Well first we talked about each family member and their special qualities and then we made cookies. Here's the lesson I took it from.

http://ayearoffhe.blogspot.com/2009/12/week-1-our-heavenly-family.html

It was so fun!

Meet Sassy-Our New Cat

2010-12-21T19:40:00.003-05:00

We got a cat last weekend. The BX held a pet adoption day and we went just to "look". We were very much in love with a sweet orange cat named Leroy, but by the time we finished going back and forth from there to the Animal Shelter and back he was taken. It's okay. We were happy he found a home.
Yet another trip back the the Shelter that day we found a cute little cat that Ed really liked and the kids loved. She's a striped tabby. Hannah named her Sassy, you know, from the movie Homeward Bound?
I don't know how I feel about her right now. She has taken to scratching our walls. Once we get her to focus her scratching instincts on a scratching pad then I will be able to have a better opinion of her.
Her good qualities are that she is so sweet and gentle. She is not shy around the kids, in fact, we had a big group of Young Singles over for a Christmas Party and she enjoyed "socializing" with all of them. So I think she has potential:)

Halloween Deja vu

2010-10-29T19:32:00.008-04:00

The kids were Mario characters this year for Halloween...again. Only they decided to to be more complicated in their requests for costumes. Instead of just plain Mario, Jacob wanted to be Ice Mario. Dallin wanted to be Penguin Luigi. Hannah was Princess Peach. I really stressed about the costumes this year and ended up telling the kids that I could not make the costumes and they would have to make do with what we already had. But...the day before our church's Fall Fesival I scrambled all over the BX looking for material and crafty things to give them the costumes they wanted. I'm a softie, I know.

Okay so for Hannah's costume, I disassembled an old fairy outfit and used that material to compliment her skirt. All that satiny pink fabric? It was recycled from a sheet I found at the thrift store. I knew I could use it for something girly! We're not too picky here, so Hannah was happy with the foam crown and the handmade jewels.

Dallin helped me come up with some really great ideas for his Penguin Luigi costume. The blue jacket is his everyday jacket with a white cloth glued to it. (It will come right off in the wash.) Me + Glue = Best Friends! I have to admit he just looks like a penguin, but the mustache definately gives him away right? NOT. He's happy that's all I care.

Jacob's costume was hastily made in a matter of 2 hours, while the kids were at school. I can't concentrate on anything while the kids are around (and keep my sanity). I made it from two 2XL knit shirts that I got at the BX for 4.99 each. That's awesome, my friends.

They all loved the costumes and would probably wear them all day if I let them, but these need to last one more night before I let them "have at 'em".

I'm getting pretty good at the Mario style costumes, if they decided to be Mario characters next year, I think I'm all set!

Happy Halloween!

Burning Popcorn!

2010-10-18T04:04:00.002-04:00

Tonight we figured out what a Japanese smoke detector sounds like and it is nothing like that ear piercing beeps in America. No, this one sounds more like a duck.

Hannah wanted to make popcorn so I unwrapped the package and told her to set the microwave to 210. She did so and when the popcorn was done I started to smell smoke. Then I saw the smoke pouring out of the microwave. At about this same time we heard that strange duck noise from the smoke detector right above our heads.

It didn't scare the kids. I was kind of bummed. I hope it does it's job well when or if we actually need it.

Dallin's Baptism

2010-08-28T01:00:00.005-04:00

Dallin was baptised this last Sunday. It was such a wonderful evening!

It was rainy, but there was a beautiful rainbow as guests were arriving at the baptism! We are so happy for Dallin. He has such a strong spirit!

Dallin's 8th Birthday!

2010-08-04T18:40:00.006-04:00

Last year when we were at Christina and Todd's house, Dallin got a Mario Party 7 for his birthday. This year, since the Mario craze hasn't died down, he wanted another Mario party but this year, of course, it would be Mario Party 8!

I admit, birthday parties stress me out. I tried to get Dallin to want to do something else instead of a party, like take a trip to Hawaii. No luck.

Dallin wanted to have a cake with Mario on it. How was I going to do that??? Well I always wanted to try my hand at fondant and here is what I came up with.

We even made a star pinata and the kids had a blast hitting it open!

Hannah is actually completely off the ground!

Normally, since this is Dallin's 8th birthday we would center it around him being baptized but our Branch President is off the island and we will have to wait until he gets back. Good thing though, cause then we can make his baptism really special without the stress of a birthday party right next to it.

Dallin's Birthday!

2010-07-27T21:47:00.002-04:00

Happy Birthday Dallin!
We are having a party on Saturday for him, but this is what I put together last night so he could wake up to a birthday suprise. They still love Mario!

PS. It was super easy and practically free!!!

Amature Bookbinding

2010-07-26T20:30:00.001-04:00

In my job I repair books!

Not because I am a librarian,
though we probably have just about any children's book available including the entire series of Junie B. Jones.

Not because I am a bookbinder,

But because I am a mom and I have a few children who would be devistated if this book could not be fixed.

Duct tape really does fix everything!

A boy, a tooth, and $10

2010-07-11T04:38:00.002-04:00

Dallin lost another tooth this week.

The tooth fairy gave him $10!

TEN DOLLARS!

I had a talk with the tooth fairy and let him or her know that it is not necessary to leave that much money and if that was all he or she had then they could wait a day and get some change and come back another night with smaller denominations.

Now the bar has been raised. Ugh.

We needed to get to the BX fast cause that $10 was burning a hole in Dallin's pocket.

We went to the thrift store instead.

We looked for anything baseball. Nothing.

That's okay cause there was a very large, very green couch there.

AND it was only $10!!!!

Dallin had to have it so we hauled that thing in the back of the van.

Just kidding. We settled for a Tom and Jerry movie for 25 cents.

I ended up paying for it, so now Dallin still has $10 but there will never be anything so great as that huge green couch at the thrift store.

Sorry Dallin.

Father's Day

2010-06-20T07:42:00.006-04:00

Okay this year Ed really got to drag out this Father's Day stuff. On the 13th, a week before Father's Day he was treated to a special musical number by the primary and then pie after church. Our branch did this because the actual day of Father's Day was District Conference. Well he got goodies that week, we went out to eat on Friday night for his Father's Day dinner and he had breakfast in bed on the actual day!
I also made him a cute picture with the kids in it.

I'd say he got off good this year.

I should mention that I got this idea from this blog.

He did it!

2010-06-14T21:35:00.003-04:00

Jacob saved and saved and saved for a DSi and finally he has earned enough to get it! Each check mark indicates a dollar earned. Some of the chores Jacob did included Dishes, Laundry and Garbage. He really worked so hard. We are so proud of him that we didn't have the least bit hesitation giving him all 190 dollars that he earned.

A New Dress

2010-06-02T23:10:00.002-04:00

I made this dress from a pillowcase I found at the thrift store. I think it looks so cute. I used the pattern found here.

Swimming Test

2010-05-31T22:22:00.003-04:00

Over Memorial Day weekend we went swimming. It was rainy and chilly, but when we tell Jacob that we will go swimming we have a much harder time trying to convince him otherwise. He LOVES the water. So instead of experiencing a full day of meltdown mayhem we joined the few other die-hard kids and hit the pool. (The picture above is not from this year, it was from last year. Sorry I didn't take the camera with me to the pool) It was really fun dispite the weather and Jacob was in heaven. There was one challenge he had to clear before his day would be complete: The Swim Test. This test would enable him to use the diving board and play in the "deep" end. This concept was so funny to me since the whole pool is deep for my kids. If you weren't about 4ft tall you were underwater. Anyway, Jacob signed up and at the first break they had everyone gather round to take the test. Jacob was so excited, this is what he had to do: Swim unassisted for 16 meters, tread water for one minute and climb out of the pool without a ladder. I was pretty sure that he could do most of the requirements, except the swimming part. He usually spends about 50% of the time at the pool underwater. Goggles are a must. I told him he would have to swim with his head above water. Well as usual he did great! I don't know why I ever doubt him. I guess it's because he has Autism and his future to me is so unknown. Every achievement or milestone he masters blows me away! We are so proud of you Jacob!

Supermom?

2010-05-13T00:39:00.003-04:00

Jacob wanted to play iknowthat.com on the computer.

He asked me to type in the password.

I asked him if he peeked when I was typing the password.

He said, "No you were typing too fast. You must be like Keyboard Queen!"

Jacob doesn't come up with words spontaneously.

He usually needs a LOT of prompting.

Conversations usually end with "I want this conversation to be over."

Not only was his "Keyboard Queen" comment funny, it was totally off-hand for him!

China Sandstorm

2010-03-21T07:51:00.003-04:00

We have a haze outside. Visibility is at about 3 and a half miles. Less in some areas. On our way to church this morning, Dallin thought it was fog. But I thought how could there be fog with all this wind? Then Ed remembered reading something about China's smog floating over here. What a scarey thought. It wasn't that either. In a story found here we discovered that all this haze is sand from a major sandstorm originating in China. We went to the Kadena Marina for a little stroll but came back with aching throats and runny noses. The reason for the dust storms in China remind me of the Dust Bowl of the 1930's.

This is the view from our house.

Valentine's Dinner

2010-02-14T07:17:00.002-05:00

I love holidays. I didn't used to. Ever since my kids started school and the teachers started making a celebration out of every possible holiday did I get caught up in all the excitment. My kids now take Groundhog's Day very seriously and the 100th day of school is something big enough to paint shirts and wear bejeweled crowns. Valentine's Day is no exception. My kids could hardly contain themselves when they and Dad went to the commissary and bought me a "suprise" valentine's gift. I have to admit they were so good at keeping it secret amidst all my jovial proddings. So far all I could tell was that it was "soft" and wasn't in dad's underwear drawer.
I'm way bad at gifts. I'm very practical so I have a hard time spending money on what I deem as worthless. I needed a better gift for my husband and the kids so this year for Valentine's Day I made a 4 course meal for my family.
I fully expected my kids to snub the food, but I was going to give them this experience and hope that they would be grateful and feel my love through this service. Of course, I prepared them with this dialogue: "Kids, we are going to have a fancy dinner. There may be some foods that look funny, but I want you to try it and I don't want to hear any whining." To which my kids responded: "Okay, mom." I hoped that was all they needed to make this an enjoyable dinner.
I put up a curtain across the entryway to the kitchen to keep out any curious eyes and got to work. I actually started the day before with preparing the soup and dessert.
Here was the menu:
Spinach Mandarin Poppy Seed Salad
Zuppa Toscana
Lasagne (off the Barilla no-boil lasagne noodle box)
All served with Breadsticks and Pink Punch (7up and Hawaiian Punch)
For Dessert:
Applebee's White Chocolate Walnut Brownie
The kids were really good sports about it all. They tried the food at least and they were so excited as I served them each course. Ed, of course, LOVED it all! It was alot of work, but so worth it to hear Hannah's squeals as I brought out dessert with a cute little white chocolate heart on top of the ice cream. Our whole family loved it so much that we decided that this would be our Valentine's Day tradition: I serve the food they shower me with gifts!
Oh, I got a box of chocolates from all the kids and a lovely card from Ed. Dallin was so impress that it took me two days to prepare this meal that he couldn't stop talking about it. We had a lovely evening and hope that the rest of our friends and family did as well!

Swimming in January

2010-02-06T02:19:00.003-05:00

It's rainy and gloomy and cold right now. Hard to believe that a little over a week ago it was warm enough for the kids to take a little dip in the water. Jacob has an aversion to bright sunlight so he had that umbrella with him for much of the time. We were unprepared for the great weather, so that is why the kids are swimming in their shorts.

>

Dallin really wanted to go snorkling, but it just doesn't work if you don't go all the way in.

Hannah's face is just so funny in these pictures!

What I've been up to

2010-02-05T23:30:00.002-05:00

I'm a do-it-yourselfer. It's something my mom passed on to me. I could have bought a vinyl tree and slapped it up on the wall, but that would have been just too easy for me.
Hannah helped me paint and I cut it out and glued it up on the wall. Total cost was hmmm...maybe, maybe $5. My mom should be so proud.

My family's reactions:

Ed: "Wow, that looks nice. Are you going to put leaves on it?"
Dallin: "Why doesn't it have leaves, Mom?"
Jacob: "Where did you get that tree, Mom?"

I think it looks fine as is, but I have thought about a bird or two or some flowers. Anyway, I am very happy with how it turned out.

Wait there's more!

2010-01-20T04:40:00.008-05:00

After lunch we went through the rest of the aquarium. We saw these cute little guys called Garden Eels.

Outside the aquarium is a ginormous net climbing structure that the kids had a blast on! Check out the air Dallin got on this jump!

Hannah and Dallin mid-jump:

I would feel bad if I didn't include a picture of Jacob. He wasn't quite so daring.

What a great day it was! Just the pick-me-up I needed!

A Really Great Day!

2010-01-18T23:29:00.006-05:00

Yesterday we went to the Churaumi Aquarium. We took the Missionaries and our friends the Rios' came with us. We had such a great time. As you know I'm not much of a writer, but I think we have some great pictures.

We all got to touch starfish and sea cucumbers!I never knew starfish could be blue.

Next we saw a dolphin show. Hannah likes dolphins just about as much as she likes horses so this was probably the highlight of the trip for her.

I was reluctant to admit that this aquarium was better than the one in Baltimore, but after I saw the huge shark tank I was convinced. Plus all the other activities, like the giant net climbing structures, the gardens and the BEACHES, it definately trumps Baltimore.

Boring

2010-01-13T21:21:00.002-05:00

My life seems kind of boring right now, but wanted to tell ya that Hannah started preschool. It's a small in home thing with a couple of ladies from church. Here is the blog for it.

Fire up the grill!

2009-12-29T18:48:00.004-05:00

I suprised Ed with a new Weber grill for Christmas this year. He was so excited. We haven't had a grill since 2006. Ed is also particular about it being a charcoal grill. We all need to be adamant about something right?
Last night we fired it up for the first time.

We had hamburgers and they were so good. It's strange that we love a grill, but aren't big meat eaters. Oh, well.

Gingerbread Houses!

2009-12-22T22:25:00.003-05:00

For FHE we invited some friends over for gingerbread house decorating. It was a pain to make the houses cause here if you leave anything out too long it will go soft (no dry winter like Virginia). So as you can see they are droopy a little. Yet it was still fun.

Cape Zanpa

2009-12-19T18:43:00.005-05:00

It was cold this weekend. That didn't stop us from venturing out a little. We drove up to Cape Zanpa to see what we could see. There is a lighthouse there where you can climb up and see for miles! The water was churning and it was so windy!

WATCH OUT! THERE'S A GIANT SHISA DOG BEHIND YOU!

Dallin can ride his bike without training wheels!

2009-12-13T21:05:00.002-05:00

This past Saturday Dallin learned to ride his bike without training wheels. I came home from decorating for the Branch Christmas Party and found Dallin and Hannah playing outside. I had a quick idea to practice with Dallin on riding his bike. When we were living in Virginia Dallin wasn't very confident riding his bike without training wheels. There were a lot of hills and he would fall down frequently. He was in a good mood today so I thought I would try. He got on the bike and I pushed him a little and let go (cause you know that you all do! even if the kid says "don't let go!"). He was balancing very well and I ran right along side him as he rode all by himself! He was so proud of himself! Now he want's to go out all the time to keep riding. Yeah, Dallin!

A Wonderful Weekend!

2009-11-28T05:41:00.008-05:00

We did so much this weekend! After talking with some friends and seeing some neat marine life, I am super excited to try snorkling (when the water and weather warms up).
Our first excursion was a trip on a glass bottom boat. Some people would call this lame compared to snorkling or scuba diving, but as I have done neither I thought it was awesome. Just another reason for me to consider taking a scuba diving class.

Too bad Dallin and Hannah were complaining of seasickness. They enjoyed as much it as they could.

Next we went down into an underwater observatory.

We saw lots of neat fish! I won't bore you with the lousy pictures. It was cool that's all.

The next day was even better! We love to go to the beach at low tide to do some coral walking and discover new things.

This time we decided to go up to Maeda Point. Ed started out on his bike to get a ride in and I followed later. We were to meet up and begin our hike. I nearly didn't find the place and got lost only once. I'm glad that we DID find this place because it was so awesome!!
It's a great place to go snorkling and diving apparently. There was a lot of that going on. Anyways...

Here are the fabulous pictures for you to enjoy!

Someone made "Happy Birthday" out of coral. The kids thought it was neat. I did too.

Dallin and Hannah could not stop talking about this picture. It showed where there sharks were spotted and warned divers about them. I knew he would love a picture of it.

New Ottoman?

2009-11-19T02:39:00.006-05:00

We have an old ottoman. It was given to us over 11 years ago before we got married. It was from the Dalby's. Remember them? It was stained but really bouncy and comfy. I'm so glad that I found these directions from Dummies.com on how to make a slip cover. Yes apparently they needed to dumb it down for us pess than lerfect people.

Okay here is before:

The pinning:

The cutting:

and the final product:

I think it turned out great! Now on to pillows...

Veterans day and the longest rollerslide yet!

2009-11-11T03:50:00.008-05:00

Our plans for Veterans day kinda fizzled for our trip on the glass bottom boat. The sea conditions were red today meaning no activity on the water. But we went to the seawall anyway and it was amazing to see such large waves!

Then we went to the fitness center to get some practice in for Jacob's 100m run at the Kadena Special Olympics this Saturday. We think he'll do well.

Later in the day we discovered this awesome park with an incredible rollerslide. We've uploaded a hilarious video of Ed sliding down behind the boys.

Finally here is a picture of the view from atop the tower.

Halloween

2009-11-06T17:28:00.004-05:00

My kids are obsessed with Mario and Luigi. Jacob is always the one to play Mario, Dallin is either Luigi or Koopa. Hannah is of course Princess Peach and I have been dubbed Rosalina. I love their imaginations!

For Halloween they were their favorite characters. Hannah went for Erika from Princess and the Pauper. Even though it wasnt the exact colors she thought her costume was just right. I love that she is so easy to please in that respect. She's not so much in other ways. We had a great time!

Roller Slide

2009-11-05T21:17:00.003-05:00

I have never seen a slide like this before. It's a bunch of little rollers on a long slide that roll you all the way down. Can you tell Jacob loves it?

Click on our YouTube video on the right to see it in action!

Happy Birthday to me!

2009-11-03T19:00:00.002-05:00

I'm 31 today.
It's so crazy! Seriously I just turned 30 a couple of months ago!

Yea I voted on that drizzly gray day.

We went to IHOP.

Obama won the election.

I ate Pumpkin Pie.

What happened to the last year?

Our Place:)

2009-09-14T01:09:00.004-04:00

This is our place. It is 3 minutes outside base in a place called Chibana.
What sold us is the HUGE garage. We desperately needed a place to put all of our bikes and accessories.

Oh and here’s a picture including our van. It’s a Nissan Bassara. The boy with the blue shirt is Jacob. Ha ha ha.

The street in front of our house dead-ends just past the last house. It’s the closest we are going to get to a cul-de-sac here in Japan. The houses are so close together! Even more than what we were seeing in DC! If an earthquake hits us the whole neighborhood is going down!

Sunset on the East China Sea

2009-09-14T00:59:00.003-04:00

Saturday we went to the seawall just outside the base to eat dinner and watch the sunset. We were in the mood for Mexican and had a delicious dinner at a place called Mike’s. Jacob even ate a plate of rice and a whole taco. Dallin and Hannah were a little bit harder to please. Don’t you hate it when all your kids want is chicken nuggets and hot dogs? We got them a plate of nachos. I had the most delicious guacamole ever! Who would have guessed that I would taste my best Mexican food in Okinawa? Anyways, it was delicious and then there was enough time to catch the sun before it set over the East China Sea.

The clouds were beautiful and we were able to get some really great pictures of the kids and scenery. Okay so I Photoshopped it a bit, but the effect is still the same.
Enjoy!

When we got back to the van, we notice that we had been issued a parking ticket. Guess we need pay more attention to those strange Japanese signs.

Home Sweet Home?

2009-09-10T21:26:00.002-04:00

Because Ed is a civilian here at Kadena, we are told that we will not be able to live on base. When I first heard this I was disappointed. I wanted the security and convience of living on base. Besides what kind of house can we afford to rent outside of base?
Nice houses here run from 300,000-600,000 yen a month. That is 3,253.00-6,507.00 dollars a month. I was fully expecting to live in a tiny apartment in a crowded metro area.
Ed went to the Civilian Personel office and was told that he is allowed nearly 500,000 yen for his Housing and Utility allowance. Can you believe that? That's like 5,000 dollars! That can get you alot! We really like this house. However, it's not uncommon for electricity to run from 400-600 a month. I've even heard of a 1,000 electric bill. Yikes. Also, being on an island there is a need to conserve water too. But I'm okay with that. Hope everyone in the States are doing okay, and Christina if you could pick up that tie at Target that I was looking at for Ed that would be great. Ha just kidding, but not really. hahahaha

We have arrived !(finally)

2009-09-05T00:22:00.003-04:00

Hey Everyone!
Wanted to let everyone know that we got to Okinawa safely. It sure was a loooooong trip. We got in on Tuesday afternoon, which would be about early early morning on Tuesday for those of you on the East coast. Ugh. Life here is gonna take some getting used to.

Biggest cause of anxiety:

This is so wrong!

We were able to purchase a van here with the money we made from selling the Honda and since we are civilians, not military, we have to find a place off-base. That'll be fun. I will get some more pictures posted as soon as I can, or whenever I can lock myself in the bathroom and have 5 minutes peace without the kids fighting with each other!
Hope everyone is doing well back in the USA.

Best Friends

2009-08-23T20:04:00.002-04:00

I love the way that Karsten and Hannah play together.

Long road home

2009-08-22T08:53:00.001-04:00

Here's Hannah zonked out on our trip home from Florida. I think we all felt this way.

A fun picture

2009-08-12T07:21:00.000-04:00

A week full of events (continued from Christina's blog)

2009-08-12T06:57:00.003-04:00

We have been to DC countless times.
I am so happy that my kids love to go.
Here are some pictures of our fun with everyone.

Alex and Jacob like to do alot of things together. They sat by each other on the metro, but doesn't it seem to you that Jacob is rolling his eyes? I know that is not Jacob's nature, but when I captured this picture it made me laugh.

A lucky shot of most of the kids in our group (well except Ed...and Grant is not a kid anymore, but I refuse to use the backspace key right now so there!)

Then I was able to get one of Jacob and Alex holding hands. At first I thought that it was Alex who wanted to always hold hands with Jacob, but as I later observed Jacob, I noticed that he was the one initiating the holding. Ha ha ha! Very suprising to me since Jacob is usually not a touchy boy. So cute.

Vacationing for a month

2009-08-02T17:06:00.003-04:00

We are homeless. Thursday was our final day at our place in LakeRidge. It was a tiring day of cleaning, but Todd and Ed did most of it on Wednesday. I was so tired I didn't have time to feel sad about the place. Plus I had the company of my sister and sister-in-law. Moving is hard. Now we are on an extension of our vacation down here in Florida. It's hot, like Okinawa is supposed to be. I hope we have GOOD air conditioning there. Ugh. I remember when we were poor and struggling. Our first apartment had one bedroom and one window unit. We used to go to Wal-Mart to cool down. I vowed never to have a place without central A/C. Oh the luxuries we enjoy! Besides visiting the beaches here we plan to go to Bush Gardens and Sea World. Yea, we're passing up the Disney thing. Been there done that. Dallin learned to stay afloat in the pool today. He was very proud of himself for his accomplishment. We are proud of him too. Jacob tried to do a back flip off the edge of the pool and bruised his coccyx. Ouch. He's okay. Ice and Ibuprofen do the job well.

After all you teach your children...

2009-07-16T10:26:00.004-04:00

...you hope above all else that what you teach them sticks.

I am not feeling well today. Sadly I will be doing pretty much nothing today, but I have discovered things about my children that throw my whole perception of them out the window.

Complaint #1-My kids can't do anything for themselves!

Correction-Jacob clothed and fed both of his younger siblings for me.

Complaint #2-All you ever do is fight with each other!

Correction-Hannah got hurt and for the first time in my life I heard Jacob say in the most compassionate voice he could muster, "oh, you got hurt?" , WITHOUT PROMPTING.

Complaint #3-All you ever want to do is play video games!

Correction- Well still pretty much true.

They are good at sensing when I am sick, tired, frustrated, etc.

I'm glad I can rely on my three blessings when it really counts.

Orders!

2009-07-13T12:51:00.003-04:00

We got them! Okinawa here we come!

All sorts of visitors!

2009-07-08T20:10:00.002-04:00

In the past month we have had 21 visitors at our house. If you count Christina and Todd popping in every now and then it's 29!! What's with these last minute visitors? We're moving people!

Ode to our Saturn

2009-06-12T12:39:00.003-04:00

You were created in 1995.
It was a good year.
I was a Sophomore in High School.
Ed was stationed at Holloman.
Gordon B. Hinkley was set apart as the 15th president of the Church.
Then there was the Oklahoma City bombing.
We heard you were from Florida.
Who did you drive around?
Did you ever visit the beach?
We were poor college students.
We had a new baby and an old 2-door Toyota Tercel.
Then you rolled into Saturn of Carbondale destined to be sent to a used car lot.
They said you were too old.
With 90k miles behind you they wouldn’t give you a chance.
Casey Hummer saved you.
He found you a good home.
$3000 dollars was a stretch for us.
But you had 4 doors.
You had A/C!
We were sold…err you were sold.
Sorry we illegally parked you at our apartment.
Sorry you got towed.
Do you remember Nash?
He loved to go for rides in you!
You took us from St. Louis to Paducah.
From Quincy to Kansas City.
There was a marathon to New Mexico.
You were in the prime of your life.
You brought home our 2nd child.
I found out you could go 87 mph …in a 65.
You loved it.
I didn’t love the court appearance.
Nor the fine.
You sported plates like Illinois, Missouri, and Virginia.
You’ll like New York plates.
The blue is a nice contrast to your champagne color.
Never once did you get into an accident.
You were so reliable.
Then came the Honda.
And then Hannah.
You were replaced.
You started hearing words like “commuter car” and “beater”.
You would barely put in 1500 miles a year now.
But you would roll 200k.
You lost your headliner and you burned oil.
You would need repairs that would be more than your value.
But we all knew how much you were worth to us.
You were nearly a decade of memories.
Too many to fit on this blog.
So I cleaned you up.
For the last time.
A real good scrubbing.
Sorry about the way Ed has been treating you for the last couple of years.
I used a toothbrush even.
You are worth it.
There now don’t you feel better?
Sorry, I just found out, your spare exploded.
Hailee said she would take real good care of you.
She talked about seat covers and replacing the headliner, a whole makeover!
She’ll take you to college, where your story began with us.
You’ll probably drive late nights and in the wee hours of the morning.
You will feel young again.
We will miss you.
Goodbye Saturn SL1, you have been a dear friend.
Always in our memories, may you forever stay out of a landfill.

Must See DC!

2009-06-10T11:48:00.004-04:00

Early this week I was able to take Kathy and Rob into DC. We woke up really early to get tickets for the Washington Monument.
The Washington Monument is definately #1 or #2 on my Must see DC list cause I can't decide if I like that better than the Natural History Museum, so they get 1 and 2 together. Also, the Holocaust Museum is a must for history buffs. It was so informative and in depth. So it gets #3 on my list. Of course, make time for a Monument walk which kind of started with the Newbrys. The monuments are beautiful at night that makes #4. And then there's Tortilla Coast which is just off the Capitol South metro stop. It's a delicious mexican restaurant. Mmmmm #5 (but seriously is #1 on a list all it's own!)
Finish off at home with one of these Movies:
Night at the Museum 2 (when out on video)
National Treasure 1 and/or 2.
Evan Almighty (only if your desperate)
This was always our favorite wind down activity.
Oh and later that evening we went up to Fairfax Corner. One of our newly discovered favorite spots. It has a fountain for the kids to play in and delicious food all around.

Sunday, Sunday, Sunday!

2009-06-09T09:45:00.006-04:00

We went for a walk after church.

Dallin is constantly picking flowers of all kinds for me. Dandelions, buttercups, clover blossoms. But this day lilly was one of the prettiest he gave me.

Trent slipped on some mud and scraped his elbow. He was muddy so he asked his mom if he could "go home and take a bath."

Here are Trent's skid marks. He slipped a long way.

Then we went to Gravelly Point.

Trent climbed a tree...

...and put his mouth on a used party blower. Here is a picture right after he dropped it. Trent called it a party tongue.

Later Dallin and Hannah both tried it out too. Ewww.

Family Fun!

2009-06-07T21:33:00.002-04:00

Christina and Todd and family finally made it safely to the area. Kathy and Rob came to visit us too before we leave for Japan.
It was a fun evening for all of us to catch up. We went swimming but the temperature was a bit chilly.

He can hold it all by himself!!!!!!!! How cute!

It's Finally Official!

2009-06-03T07:23:00.002-04:00

Ed finally got the official offer for Japan yesterday. Now we wait for the orders and then scramble like crazy to get everything done before the end of July. Christina is coming into the DC area today! yea!

Krispy Kreme, Swimming, and a Movie (not at the same time)

2009-05-30T19:55:00.006-04:00

Over the weekend we took the kids to Krispy Kreme. They call it the Krispy Kreme Factory, and in a way it is. But they had so much fun. Dallin loved the Kreme waterfall. It was interesting to see the process and to see the dud donuts. Ed was sad that they were tossed out. I mean they're still good right?

We also went to see Up, the new Disney/Pixar movie. It was so good! We saw it in 3-D so the kids all wore nerdy glasses. I thought they suited Dallin and Jacob well.

And then we went swimming. Only the pictures of Hannah turned out.

The thanks I get...

2009-05-11T21:48:00.002-04:00

Today I spent the better part of the day cleaning out Jacob's room and cleaning the carpet up there. I loved it when Jacob came home and went up to his room. All I heard was "Thanks for cleaning my room mom!" He loves it when I clean his room up. I'm glad I didn't have to ask for a thank you.

Newton the Turtle

2009-05-08T07:30:00.002-04:00

On our way to school yesterday we found a turtle in the road. How vulnerable is that? You are a slow moving creature and you are threatened with these fast heavy vehicles. As we were discussing the thought to pick the turtle up and move him to a safe spot, a garbage truck came around the corner and just barely missed smooshing that poor animal. There were more than just my kids there watching this scene and I didnt want my kids to see that turtle die so I was able to stop traffic and come to the rescue of Newton. That's what we named him cause my kids love Peep and the Big Wide World, which features a wise turtle in the cartoons. I felt good helping Newton and we hope he stays home in the grass!

Changes

2009-05-05T13:05:00.002-04:00

Moving away from a place has never been easy for me. When I was younger, I lived in a ward where families would only stay about 3 or 4 years at a time. We were the family that was always there. The steady ones. Friends came and went. I think that is why I hesitate to become close friends with anyone since the reality of them leaving was always immenent. Already I am mentally saying goodbye to things I know I will never experience again. The sadness in the air right now only accenutates that loss. This sadness is from the loss of a dear friend to our family.
I welcome the blessings of what is in store for us in the future. A part of me will still be attached to this place, this home, and the growth that I have experienced here. I have been blessed so much.

What's in store for us

2009-04-25T21:47:00.003-04:00

This is what I know so far about our move to Japan. Ed did accept the job today. We will probably be moving in about 2 months. Jacob is overjoyed about the super long plane ride. Dallin is excited about typhoons. I don't know yet about any stuff we will be able to ship there. Thank goodness I don't have to pack it! I will post more as I know more.

Japan

2009-04-24T09:52:00.002-04:00

Ed was offered the job in Japan and we are inclined to accept it. I will blog more later.

Clearance Tulips!

2009-04-16T07:59:00.004-04:00

My tulips have bloomed very nicely this year. I am so glad that I bought them on clearance last year from Walmart. The bright red really perks up the place.
I think I will try to go this year and get some more. Maybe in yellow.

Note: Click on the picture to view the original size. It is gorgeous!

Easter

2009-04-13T08:05:00.004-04:00

I have been really spoiled this week leading up to Easter. Besides the fact that Ed has been in Alabama all week and the kids had Spring Break, I've think that I have had it easy since I have been able to sleep in everyday. No lessons to plan, no activities to go to.
Yesterday, for Easter, the kids went on an Easter egg walk. Me or Ed would hide the eggs ahead on the trail, and the kids would get the okay via jacob's new walkie-talkies (which he thought was awesome!) and they would run up the trails looking for the eggs. Sneaky way to get the kids to go for a walk, huh?

I also think that these pictures are so cute!

First sunburn of the season!

2009-04-05T19:33:00.002-04:00

The first sunburn of the season is always a sign that things are getting warmer and the opportunity to spend the day outdoors is nearing. We went to Leesylvania State Park on Saturday and the kids played for over an hour on the banks of the Potomac River. I left the camera at home so sorry no pictures. I can tell you that the sun was bright and the sky was so clear! I got sunburned on my scalp and forehead, but I was okay with that cause I got to be outside after a long dreary winter. Later that night me and the kids got to attend a children's book reading by Tina Louise. Who's Tina Louis? I didn't know who she was at first either. I guess she was the girl who played Ginger on Gilligan's Island. I don't know, I never watch the show. Anyway it was an okay evening. I am looking forward to warmer days!

Light Bright Cube

2009-04-02T17:13:00.002-04:00

I got the kids a Light Bright Cube a while back and they love it! Take a look at Dallin with his tongue sticking out in intense concentration. That's a Christensen trait if I ever saw one.

Hannah's hair cut

2009-04-01T11:34:00.005-04:00

I cut Hannah's hair today. Okay, I'm no professional, but I LOVE to try my hand at cutting hair. It's fun and I can be creative with something that grows back! Let me know what you think (Sandra?).

Can we say slacker?

2009-02-15T22:03:00.002-05:00

Okay, I've been concentrating on other things in my life right now, and I have allowed my blogging to suffer. I can't say that I will get any better since I still have those other things to take priority. Nothing major, just life's distractions. We did get to see Aaron at the end of January. He was able to be here for his birthday so we made him cupcakes and played Wii games!
Ray and Sherry were able to visit after that with the kids (all except Haylee)
We had such a great time that we got lonely after they left, but it was nice to play mario kart online with them and still whoop up on them.
Otherwise it's life as usual.

Inauguration Day!

2009-01-20T18:14:00.002-05:00

It was amazing to see just how many people showed up for the Inauguration of Obama. We have walked (and biked) up and down the National Mall and it is so interesting to see all that is happening there. Part of me wants "our National Mall" back. You know those September days when we get the whole thing to ourselves? I can't wait to get back there when it's warmer and cleared out and take in what has happened today.

We did not go into DC for the days events. We decided to take our family to Luray Caverns. Our way of getting away from the crowd. We were nearly 100 ft underground when Obama was sworn in.

All is calm...

2009-01-12T09:31:00.004-05:00

Now that the busyness of the holidays are over, I guess I should get down to posting about it. Give me a couple more days to get that together. But for now here are some pictures of what we were up to.

Oh what fun...

2008-12-23T21:24:00.002-05:00

We are having so much fun with family in town. Today we went into DC and went up the Washington Monument. What a great view. It was so clear! Anyway we are sure to have more fun tonight. We are gonna play Imaginiff.

Chocolate Drop Pretzels!

2008-12-10T12:31:00.002-05:00

Sherry told me about this recipe. I am excited to try it with many assortments of Hershey kisses!

Chocolate Drop Pretzels Recipe

Container: cookie sheet
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Ingredients:
1 pound (1 bag) of mini round pretzels
14 ounces (1 bag) of Hershey's Kisses or Hugs
17 3/5 ounces (1 bag) of M&M candies

Directions

* Preheat oven to 200°.
* Line a cookie sheet with parchment or waxed paper.
* Place as many pretzels on the cookie sheet as will fit.
* Top each with a Hershey's Kiss or Hug. The Hugs chocolates melt faster than Kisses.
* Place in oven and remove when candy begins to soften just enough to press an M&M candy or decoration into softened candy.
* Top each with a holiday M&M or decorative candy of choice.
* Allow to cool completely and then place in freezer for 15 minutes to firm up chocolate.
* Remove from freezer, place pretzel candies in airtight container and store in freezer until ready to use.

*Any small shaped pretzel can be used, such as square, waffle-shaped or round.

*Serve for any holiday or event by changing the color of the M&M candies to colors consistent with the celebration

Dallin and the Snowman

2008-12-07T21:24:00.003-05:00

Ed helped Dallin and the rest of the kids build this snowman during our Thanksgiving visit. The eyes and ears are carrots, the nose is celery, and the mouth and arms are sticks.

Thanksgiving @ Ray and Sherry's

2008-12-06T11:08:00.006-05:00

Okay so Ray wasn't able to be there for Thanksgiving, he was in Russia on business, but Sherry was so gracious to escort us to Palmyra and to make Thanksgiving dinner. Thank you so much Sherry! It was delicious!

Dennis carved the Turkey, but he nearly freaked me out by fake cutting himself with the electric carver. Ugh!

$1.49

2008-12-06T11:07:00.000-05:00

Ed saw gas at $1.49.

Palmyra

2008-12-02T20:48:00.004-05:00

Also on the 26th, Sherry took us to Palmyra so that we could visit all the church sites there. It's a testimony builder to be in the actual place where the beginnings of the restoration took place.

Even though there was snow and it was bitterly cold we hiked up the Hill Cumorah. The kids were having so much fun in the snow I'm not sure how much they actually got out of the experience. I will have to remind them that they were on the hill where Joseph recieved the plates from Moroni.

Here is a picture taken by one of the Missionaries outside the Sacred Grove visitors center. As you can see there is a line of trees cut out so that you can view the Sacred Grove from the temple. How awesome is that?

P.S. I'm wearing the fleece boa scarf that I made for Hannah. I was cold and Hannah didn't want to wear it. So here is the picture I promised.

Taking a walk through the Sacred Grove.

Carousel

2008-12-02T20:37:00.005-05:00

On Wednesday, November 26th, we went to the Carousel Mall in Syracuse so that Sherry and the girls could get this fancy curling iron and Hannah could go on the carousel there.
Of course, Hannah was so impatient when she had to wait for her turn.

Hannah loved riding those horses! She couldn't stop talking about it!

Our trip to Syracuse NY

2008-12-02T20:20:00.003-05:00

This is the first picture we took on our trip up to Syracuse NY. I liked the way the ice melted into huge icicles down the side of the rock.
Anyway, the kids are sporting Burger King crowns they got at a retro Burger King near Gettysburg. They got hungry at 10:30 so we stopped for brunch. They were so excited to see snow!!

I wish everyone could actually hear the kids saying "SNOW!" Like they have never seen the white stuff in their lives! It was cute to see them so excited about something.

Christina is moving here!!!!

2008-12-01T14:09:00.001-05:00

I'm having issues with my blog, but who cares? The Stailey's are moving to DC!!!!

$1.67?

2008-11-20T07:34:00.003-05:00

We just filled up the car yesterday and it was around 15 dollars! We havent seen those prices since college! Gas prices were a whole 15 cents cheaper than when I filled up last Friday. Man don't know if I should call it good or bad.

Fleece Boa

2008-11-14T14:11:00.004-05:00

I made a fleece boa today for Hannah. I would post a picture, but Ed took the camera to Las Vegas with him. Here is the pattern anyway. I made Hannah's with pink and brown.

Fleece Boa

3-3 Tag!

2008-11-14T11:42:00.003-05:00

Thanks to Kathy for this neat idea!

Tag Rules: Go to the 3rd folder of your pictures and select the 3rd picture. BLOG!

This is a picture of Dallin and Hannah in late June. If I remember right, it was the first weekend that school was out for the summer. I don't know why Dallin has only one flip-flop on. We were on our way to a the Ward Luau and they roasted a real pig! The luau was the last activity we had with the Newbrys before they moved. The trees are so lush and green in this picture. It reminds me how summer looks since all the trees are nearly bare now.

$1.89 for gas!

2008-11-12T17:14:00.001-05:00

I don't know why, but I find the price of gas interesting.

$1.99 Gas!

2008-11-07T16:13:00.001-05:00

I have been increasingly suprised at the plummet in gas prices around here. It changes at least twice a day!! Now it's 1.99!! WOW!

Great Falls

2008-11-05T14:48:00.004-05:00

Last Saturday we went to Great Falls with the Cooks. It's a great park with a fantastic view of the Potomac River! It was especially beautiful with all the fall colors!

Ed smashing our pumpkin! MAJOR LOL!

2008-11-05T14:34:00.000-05:00

Keep up everyone!

2008-11-05T14:30:00.002-05:00

I'm on a blogging binge. I couldn't download the pics from my camera for the longest time because I didn't have enough room on my hard drive. We're okay for now, but eventually we will need some more space! So right now I'm just catching up on the last month.

Halloween Party!

2008-11-05T14:05:00.003-05:00

A few pictures of the kids before they went to the church for the Halloween party.

I decided to keep the red eyes in the photo. It's funny and it looks like Dallin is zapping Hannah with his laser vision! hahahaha!

Hannah loved the butterfly that was painted on her cheek.

Dallin got a pair of glasses and a ghost on his cheek.

Marine Corps Marathon Healthy Kids Fun Run

2008-11-05T13:42:00.004-05:00

The day after Jacob's birthday the boys ran in the Marine Corps Marathon Healthy Kids Fun Run. It was rainy and miserable.

Jacob's 9th Birthday!

2008-11-05T12:17:00.002-05:00

Jacob's birthday is on the 24th of October. On the morning of his birthday there was such a beautiful sunrise that I had to take a picture of it. It was a bit foggy outside too. (Dallin loves foggy days)

While Jacob was at school, Hannah and I decorated the kitchen for Jacob's Birthday. The kids really love it when we make a big deal out of their special day! Jacob especially wanted chocolate cupcakes with vanilla frosting and sprinkles.

Jacob was so happy when he came home and saw those cupcakes!

Jacob decided that he wanted to ride the Metro for his birthday. Simple request, but for Jacob the world revolves around the Metro. hahaha We also needed to pick up the kids' running packets in DC because we signed them up for the Marine Corps Marathon Healthy Kids Fun Run. So we had a fun ride got their running packets, and ate at the mall across from the Pentagon. Jacob couldn't have asked for anything more exciting. He even got his favorite seat on the Metro, the first car. This is the best view.

Later that evening we sang to the birthday boy and he blew out all nine candles! Notice his face and how awestruck he is by the beautiful sight! We love Jacob so much and are so happy that he is in our family!

Jacob got his Wolf!

2008-11-05T10:10:00.002-05:00

On October 22nd Jacob recieved his Wolf Badge. This has been a day that Jacob has been working forward to for a long time! He has worked very hard, and so has his parents! He was so happy to finally recieve his Wolf badge! Sorry that I don't have a good picture of this, Ed was taking the photos. How ironic! Just kidding~ I love you Ed!

Ice Cream Cone Cupcakes!

2008-11-05T10:01:00.004-05:00

The day before Jacob's birthday, I was able to bring in some cupcakes to share with the class. It's suprising that the school allowed this since most schools have a "no-homemade goodies" policy. Jacob's teacher, however seems to be able to get around those rules to allow the kids some fun every once in a while. But back to the cupcakes, I decided it would be extra special if I baked them in cones and decorated them like ice cream cones. It was so fun to make these and Jacob's class was delighted! I think they would have loved them whatever form they were in :)

P.S. I talked to Christina and Angie on my Multiparty line while I was waiting to deliver the cupcakes. It was fun to talk to them all together. We will have to get even more on next time!

Dallin got his Orange Belt!

2008-11-05T09:54:00.002-05:00

Okay this is really late, but I wanted to document the fact that Dallin tested for his orange belt in October. He seems to be enjoying Tae Kwon Do and he gets so proud of himself when he moves up a belt.

Congratulations Dallin!

I voted today!

2008-11-04T10:39:00.000-05:00

I voted today. I voted for McCain. Go vote America!

Free Tacos!!!

2008-10-25T19:04:00.006-04:00

Hey America. Free tacos on Tuesday!
Taco Bell Free Taco!

22" deep sheets??

2008-10-17T14:59:00.003-04:00

Okay, we have the most comfortable bed in the world, but buying a fitted sheet for it is so unresonably priced! Our top matress is 22" deep, not the typical 18". The sheet set we got costed us about $120 and it was ripping in half because it was so threadbare. 360 percale means nothing! I was determined to find a solution for this problem or we would be paying another 120 or more on bed linens. So.......I went to the thrift store to look. Hey! If I wash them they should be okay! But, no luck on a super deep queen fitted sheet. But, I did find two king flat sheets in the color I wanted. So........I got a bright idea. Truely inspired I'd say! I took those king sheets and decided I would MAKE a fitted sheet for our bed. If it didn't work, or Ed didn't like it, I would only be out 14 dollars (7 for each sheet). I took apart our old ripped sheet and laid it out as a pattern, cut the flat sheet to the right size. I would need to add a few inches at the bottom for extra length, but the sewing machine can run that real quick. So.......after a couple of hours I had two fitted sheets for our bed and now they are in the washer. We will see what Ed thinks. Stay tuned...

Look!

2008-10-10T09:25:00.003-04:00

For Enrichment this month we are going to have a sister from our ward talk about emotional wellness and taking time for ourselves. This is the idea I came up with for a little gift for the ladies. Ed and I put it together last night and I was so delighted by how it turned out. Thanks Sharon!

Finished...all most!

2008-10-08T11:44:00.005-04:00

I finally finished painting Hannah's tinkerbell wings. Okay so they look like butterfly wings but I am still satisfied with them. And I made the tutu last night. I am happy with it all. I would have had Hannah try it all on for a picture, but she spilled orange juice down the front of her shirt as I was getting the camera ready. That girl is just like Rhonda! And now all she says is "Mom, I'm still hungry". Always asking for junk food! Argh!!! Oh, well.
Now I need to get Dallin to decide what he wants to be so I can get started on that. Jacob wants to be a ghost I think and we have a ghost outfit from a couple years back. How fun it will all be!

31 Things

2008-10-06T14:22:00.002-04:00

Thanks to Amber for this.
1. Where is your cell phone? In my purse
2. Your significant other? Ed, my Husband
3. Your hair? Blonde
4. Where is your mother? New Mexico
5. Where is your father? New Mexico
6. Your favorite thing? A vacuum at this moment
7. Your dream last night? I don't remember. I must have had one.
8. Your favorite drink? Lemonade
9. Your dream/goal? You know, after watching conference I think it would be awesome to sing with the MoTab.
10. The room you’re in? Living room
11. Your hobby? Digital Scrapbooking/Graphic Design
12. Your fear? Driving off a bridge into water w/my kids in the van!
13. Where do you want to be in 6 years? Doesn't matter.
14. What you’re not? pregnant
15. Muffins? pumpkin
16. One of your wish list items? a purse like Jennifer Gray's
17. Where you grew up? Alamogordo
18. The last thing you did? Swept the kitchen
19. What are you wearing? Pink shirt, tan corduroy pants
20. Favorite gadget? cell phone
21. Your pets? None
22. Your computer? Dell
23. Your mood? a bit tense.
24. Missing someone? Yes
25. Your car? Honda Odyssey
26. Something you’re not wearing? Glasses
27. Favorite store? Village Thrift Store
28. Like someone? yes
29. Your favorite colour? pink
30. When is the last time you laughed? this morning
31. Last time you cried? last week

Now it's your turn.

Getting closer

2008-10-01T08:05:00.007-04:00

Well, I've taped all four wings together and painted it. Now I'm starting on the outlining. It's hard to keep Hannah out of everything when I'm doing all this, but she loves to see her wings come to life! They don't look like Tinkerbell's wings, but I thought hers were a little too plain and I wanted to add some sparkle to Hannah's. I don't think Hannah will mind.

So excited!

2008-09-28T16:14:00.006-04:00

Hannah wants to be tinkerbell for Halloween. I am excited because I am going to try to make her costume, with a little help from the Dollar store. I am making her wings from hangers and pantyhose, and her skirt from inexpensive tulle fabric. I had a hard time finding the right color of fabric at JoAnn's so I ended up having to order some online from an eBay store. It wasn't that bad for the price thank goodness. Ed asked me if after all is said and done, if it wouldn't be cheaper to buy a costume. Well I have broken it down and here's the best I can do.
Hangers-Free (hanging there in the closet)
Girls tights-1.00 from Dollar store
Paint- already have on hand
glitter- 1.50 from Michaels
White paint- 1.50 from Michaels
4yards of Lime Green tulle- 13.75 from eBay
Ribbon-unknown
So all in all I still havent exceeded the 39.99 mark for a Tinkerbell costume. Besides this is a chance for me to create something and that is better than store-bought. I already know how to swipe a debit card, I want to know how to make fairy wings and a tutu!
Here's what I have so far:

Also to all you mothers of Princesses and Ballerinas here is a great and easy way to make an adorable no-sew tutu!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B7aSPMEn7S0

What are you gonna be for Halloween?

2008-09-22T17:32:00.001-04:00

What are everyone's plans for Halloween? Hannah wants to be Tinkerbell. Dallin will probably be Peter Pan and Jacob wants to be a Pumpkin, again.

while it rained...

2008-09-08T10:33:00.001-04:00

Hannah is yelling "I'm cold!"

Just a few pictures of Tropical Storm Hanna when it came through. Of course we had to go out in it! The kids loved when daddy plowed through the water on the roads with the van. We dropped by the mall too.

I know, I know. "McDonalds?" you ask? Ed and I don't like McDonalds, but it was probably the only thing the kids would eat at our mall.

We have a Tropical Storm Watch!

2008-09-05T08:27:00.000-04:00

Ed thinks it is pretty exciting that we are under a Tropical Storm Watch here in Virginia. He loves weather. And when I talk about weather I mean bad weather. He likes to follow any possible storm that might be moving our way. Ed even gets Dallin excited about the weather too. The only thing we expect here, though, is less-than-Tropical-storm-force-wind and rain from Hanna.

First Day of School!

2008-09-03T11:51:00.000-04:00

Yesterday was the first day of school for Jacob and Dallin. The night before Hannah seemed to be coming down with a cold so she was up two times during the night. I thought "Of all nights to be sick, couldn't you have picked a more convenient one?" But they don't choose when to be sick, so I just endured a rough night and an early morning. Anyway, I got everyone up and ready with plenty of time and by eight o'clock Jacob was outside waiting for the bus.

We waited and waited and waited. I started to get nervous that the bus wouldn't come at all since they didn't even call to tell me when it would be at our house. So we waited. Jacob looked so sad that the bus hadn't arrived yet. It was getting late and I needed to walk Dallin to school so I told Jacob that we would need to drive him to school since it didn't look like the bus was coming. Just as I was coming out of the house with my keys, Bus 587 pulled around the corner and Jacob exclaims "Mom! I told you it would come!". I was relieved that they didn't disappoint a boy on his first day of school, even starting a whole new school for him. So I sent him off to his first day of 3rd grade at Old Bridge Elementary.

Dallin was very nonchalant about starting a new school year. Seemed to him like an extension of last year only with a near 3 month break in between.

He was however elated to find out that Natalia is in his 1st grade class this year. Dallin and her were great friends in Kindergarten. Ed and I think it is so cute that a girl is his best friend.
Dallin and his best friend Natalia on the last day of Kindergarten.

Dallin was also very excited that Alice, his friend from church, was starting Kindergarten this year and that she would be going to his school. Dallin loves Alice also.

Hannah loved her time home with me. She is so girly and always wants me to play dolls with her. The house is much quieter and now at least I can keep things cleaner.